"The appellant alleges that she has a constitutional right under federal and state law to file a traditional lawsuit in circuit court, seek a jury trial, and have a court or jury review...her bar examination," Owens said in her ruling. "We disagree. The (Mississippi) Supreme Court has explicitly established the procedures for all test-takers who do not pass the Mississippi Bar. The court has found that the existing procedures regarding judicial appellate review of examination grades satisfies any and all due process concerns."

Owens said all failing bar exam applicants were treated in the exact same manner.

The ruling was in response to Crawford seeking the right to file a lawsuit; it wasn't on the merits of the case. A Nov. 30 hearing date is set for Owens to hear the merits of the case. However, with Owens' ruling on the lawsuit, it could signal the likely outcome of the actual case.

Assistant Attorney General Harold Pizzetta had argued Crawford couldn't sue the board because it has judicial immunity.

Also, Pizzetta said in court the Board of Bar Admissions provided Crawford with a detailed explanation of her scores and afforded her the opportunity to request copies of the examination questions, her answers, model answers and analyses.

Crawford appealed the grades she received on the Mississippi State Essay questions 1.2, 1.3, 5.1, and 5.2 to the full board. She also appealed to the board the grade she received on the Multistate Performance Test. The board appointed a three-member committee to review Crawford’s petition and amended petition.

The committee "determined that her answers to MSE questions …had “not been substantially misgraded to an extent that the result of the examination was affected, and her appeal was denied,” Pizzetta said in a court document.

When asked why she didn't just retake the bar exam, Crawford replied, it's not about her but will affect all applicants for the Mississippi Bar. She said she was deprived of her rights.